Amy Schumer Calls Out Girls' Life Magazine and More: Gender News Weekly

By WomenAdvancing Archives
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This is a weekly blog focused on gender equality. In this column, Amy Schumer calls out Girls’ Life Magazine, HeForShe celebrates its two-year anniversary and launches a college campus initiative, Nev Schulman of MTV’s “Catfish” and Laura Perlongo advocate for paternity leave, and Cosmopolitan and car brand Seat spur controversy.

 

Amy Schumer and Blake Lively Call Out Girls’ Life Magazine for Sexist Cover

After the cover of Girls’ Life magazine went viral last week, Amy Schumer had something to say about it -- a simple “No.” In an Instagram post on Wednesday, she showcased the difference between Girls’ Life and Boys’ Life magazines, sharing a photo of their covers side by side. While the Girls’ Life cover featured headlines like “Wake up pretty!” “Your Dream Hair” and “My First Kiss,” the Boys’ Life cover read “Explore Your Future” accompanied by images of microscopes, planes, veterinarian equipment and police badges. Simply and sadly, the covers are a jarring side-by-side comparison of the outdated gender stereotypes that still exist across the country. After Schumer’s post, Blake Lively quickly joined the conversation, sharing a screenshot of her post with the caption, “Wow @amyschumer. I second that emotion. Ladies, let’s not let this happen anymore.” Most would agree -- check out the two covers below.

 

 

Emma Watson Announces HeForShe College Campus Initiative

UN Ambassador Emma Watson, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were just a few of the notable speakers at HeForShe’s second anniversary celebration at New York’s Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday. At the event, Watson addressed the crowd, reflecting on the cultural changes of the past two years and acknowledging that while there is still lack of female leaders, there is hope for the future. “While women still only make up such a small percentage of political leadership, to quote the awesome Michelle Obama, ‘Because of these women, girls and boys all over the world will have real life examples that women are leaders,’” she commented. Earlier that morning, Watson announced HeForShe’s new University Impact 10x10x10 Parity Initiative, which aims to break down the gender gap in academic leadership and combat campus sexual assault. According to a HeForShe report released Tuesday, the gender gap in academia persists in the U.S. and around the world; in the U.S., men out-rank women faculty positions and out-earn women at higher levels, the Huffington Post reports. In addition, one in five U.S. women are sexually assaulted in college. Universities participating in the HeForShe initiative have made individual commitments to ending the gap in academia administration and addressing gender-based violence. Watch Watson’s speeches on the initiative below.

 

 

 

Catfish’s Nev Schulman and Laura Perlongo Discuss Parental Leave in New Video

Nev Schulman, known for MTV’s Catfish, and finance Laura Perlongo made headlines last month when Perlongo, who is pregnant and in her third trimester, wore an open jacket to the VMAs, exposing her baby bump. Now, in a new video from ATTN, Schulman and Perlongo tackle maternity and paternity leave in the U.S., highlighting some pretty dismal stats. For one, the U.S. is the only industrialized country that does not offer paid maternity leave. Policies are even worse for new fathers, the pair points out -- globally, while moms get an average of 106 days of paid leave, dads only receive an average of seven days. “These policies are totally sexist,” Perlongo remarks in the video as she uses a power drill to put together a crib. “It’s basically saying that taking care of a child is a woman’s job.” The couple ends the video by asking viewers to help fight the stigma of “the daddy track” and fight for paid parental leave for both sexes.

 

Cosmopolitan and Seat’s New Purple Car “For Women” Sparks Outrage

Cosmopolitan UK and Spanish car brand Seat have partnered to launch The Seat Mii by Cosmopolitan -- a "sophisticated, feminine and chic" purple compact car tailored towards the publisher’s female audience -- and women aren’t too happy about it, the Drum reports. Featuring eyeliner headlights, "jeweled, bi-color alloy wheels" and other components that are meant to work "in harmony to offer a surprise sparkle," the car was designed to be a “fun and fearless” vehicle that is “easy to use” and “adapts to today’s lifestyle.” Many Twitter users were outraged that Cosmo and Seat would feel the need to release a special, cutesy car for women, vehemently disagreeing with the hashtag #ThisIsMii that accompanied the launch, noting that all cars are for women. "Wow, thanks @SEAT_cars_UK & @Cosmopolitan for designing a car just for women. Is the steering wheel small for my delicate hands?! #its2016!!” one user vented.

 

More Headlines this Week

White Men in Digital -- Our Privilege is Blinding

10 Years of AdColor: Progress, Setbacks and Hope

UN Gender Initiative Program to Increase Number of Women in Tech

With 50-50 Gender Split on Board, GM is in Rare Company

Asking Women How They "Balance It All" on Awards Show Red Carpets is Not OK

Female Comedy Directors Extend Historic Emmy Streak with Jill Soloway Repeat

Female Scientists Turn to Data to Fight Lack of Representation on Panels

 

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